Natural resources.
Money.
In this case OIL.
Spratly Islands. Paracel Islands. Scarborough Shoal.
That is the Chinese Missile Ship Hankgkou, BTW
Here is what the CHINA origin WSJ says …
The decision by China National Offshore Oil Corporation to start drilling in Chinese waters off the coast off Hong Kong wouldn’t normally spark controversy. But coming at a time of heightened tensions over disputed territory in the South China Sea, and with pointed comments from CNOOC Chairman Wang Yilin, it has attracted considerable attention.
Here is a map:
And as you can see, off Hong Kong is about as accurate as claiming St Helena Island is off South America.
Here is the BBC:
Several hundred protesters waved flags and placards at the Chinese embassy in Manila, calling for China to withdraw its ships from a South China Sea shoal.
The Philippines deployed more than 100 police near the Chinese Consular Office, said local media, amid rising tension over the month-long row.
The two countries have been locked in a stand-off in disputed waters at the Scarborough Shoal since 8 April.
Both sides accuse each other of intruding into territorial waters.
“Our protest is directed at the overbearing actions and stance of the government in Beijing, which behaves like an arrogant overlord, even in the homes of its neighbours,” rally organiser Loida Nicholas Lewis was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
The row began early last month when the Philippines said its naval ship had found eight Chinese fishing vessels at the shoal, which both sides claim.
That is China’s 1st aircraft carrier (they claim it is a science experiment)
The Cubans are drilling for oil off our coast (actually REALLY off our coast). The Chinese are willing to risk nuclear war in the middle east to befriend Iran and get their supply of oil. The Phillipines and Vietnam risk REAL SHOOTING with China over these, nothing islands and shoals, in order to increase their supplies of what they cannot do without.
While other nations are preparing to prepare for possible resource wars, not only do we send $ to hopeless (green) business cases, work to bankrupt coal (in which we are KSA), avoid natural gas, sorry fracking (in which we are KSA also), and block exploration offshore, and pipelines onshore, our govt accuses the fossil energy companies of pillaging the people by tax breaks.
We may have no desire to get in involved in this stupid battle brewing a half world away, but this would be a footnote in which we help economically, those who cannot deter their opponents militarily if WE HAD OUR FOSSIL FUEL HOUSE IN ORDER.
Or we could just move in the 7th fleet.
If we had enough fuel.
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